Most women I come across trying to conceive have some level of adrenal burnout or Yang Qi deficiency. Not only does yang qi deplete naturally as we age, we over spend it when we burn the candle at both ends- you know overwork & overplay. I'm guilty for sure. When I first entered graduate school I could barely find my Kidney Yang pulse. It was sooooo depleted from climbing the corporate ladder, staying up way too late, running marathons, and ruminating way too long on making a major life transition. All the things I thought were good for me and important were draining my very life force. It was quite empowering to learn that I had control of how I spent this energy and that were ways to try and replenish what I already squandered.

The sooner the better. This doesn’t mean we can’t help you if you are late in your journey. We’ve seen it all from, “I’m trying to decide if I want to have a baby,” all the way to, "I’m having an IVF procedure in two weeks and I heard acupuncture can help.” After 10 years of doing this, my personal preference is to come 3 months prior to IVF if possible and as soon as you have made the decision to start trying to conceive.

With natural conception the sooner we can regulate a menstrual cycle, educate and correct any timing issues, do diagnostic tests, and introduce the concept of becoming more Yin in order to receive life, the sooner we usually have success.

With IVF we want to build the foundation to it’s peak level BEFORE going into a cycle. This is even more important when you concider the fact you will potentially harvesting eggs that will ultimately turn into more than one child.

I'd always been fascinated by the limits of the human body. I was about to find out that pregnancy and birth provided a far greater teaching of the body's extraordinary capabilities than mere athletics ever would.

Most of us think that we can't possibly or we don't deserve to excel in all areas of our life. We believe that if everything is great, the only thing left is for us to crash and burn. Even more of us sub-consciously believe that by limiting our selves in one area we are protecting ourselves from the reality of failure in an area we don't want to fail in.

I've spent the last year reading about habits and success. What makes one person full of will and another cave at the thought of pressure? I've learned quite a bit about what it takes to make a goal or resolution a reality and here are the key points that most of us get hung up on.

When I think about why the emotion of anger shows itself, it's because one wants to feel significant or important. (See our new "leader" as an example of that.) If we want women and minorities to feel significant, seen and heard, we can't possibly fight with the same weapons he is using if we are to win. Anger won't cut it. And fear- that's the emotion begging to drown the joy and compassion residing in my heart and I'm not about to let that happen either. There has to be another way which is why I choose to go into the stillness this morning. In the stillness I can see and hear clearly and creative solutions and actions with incredible power have a way of revealing themselves. I invite you to do the same with me today and every day. I invite you to make a commitment to your own sanity first by starting each day in stillness before reacting to the rhetoric, panic, and paths of the media both social and mainstream. If enough us get clear and possibilities truly are infinite as quantum physics teaches, there can be a creative solution bigger to this than any of us have ever dreamed of if we act as a unit rather than the splintered blathering mess they are counting on.

Low blood sugar also causes insulin resistance. So if you skip breakfast, live off of coffee until 3pm, are known to get HANGRY, trust me when I say you are potentially doing just as much harm to your fertility as someone that is overweight and flirting with type II diabetes.

Alright ladies, here are some acupressure points you can use to induce labor naturally or help a stalled labor get back on track. To be clear, please don't start these until your are full term. Also, because we are using pressure instead of needles (acupuncture), it's going to take some effort on your part. What do I mean by this, I mean you or your partner are going to have to do them every hour or so and sometimes for days to really get things rolling. So, don't try it once and decide it didn't work. Make a decision and keep at it.

Herbs that address the root cause of your painful periods can help to make your time of the month barely noticeable and less like a trip to yet another dreaded star wars movie. The best part is, because they work on the root cause typically you only have to take them for 3-6 cycles before they have a lasting effect.

You have to feed something if you want it to grow right? Whether it's your child, your dreams, or your meditation practice; you must show up and give it the attention it deserves. Join me the month of April for sunrise meditation every Saturday at north shore park, next to the volleyball courts. This month we will begin 25 min prior to sunrise. Start times are as follows....

April 2 6:53

April 9 6:47

April 16 6:40

April 23 6:35

April 30 6:26

As always these classes are open to any level and are completely donation based. This month's suggested charity is the Beth Dillinger Foundation. They do so much in our community from feeding underprivileged children, to providing college scholarships to at risk teenagers that have turned their lives around. To find out more and donate, click here www.bethdillinger.org/donations.html

First of all, Hi! I've missed you all and I'm back and ready to rumble with you through some serious self growth. After all, Spring is all about growth, right?

Where have I been? Well, I got married to the love of my life, won four amazing stepsons in the process and managed to take a little R&R in my favorite place in the world, Big Sur.

I'm refreshed and inspired to get back on the horse of leading you through weekly recorded meditations, blog posts with info you can actually use, finishing up those virtual programs to empower women everywhere to embrace where they are at in their fertility process, and live sunrise meditation classes if you are lucky enough to be in St. Petersburg, Fl.

Check the ladypotions FB page for start times for Saturday morning meditation classes held at North Shore Park, on the sand next to the volleyball courts. Usually class begins 20 min prior to sunrise. All levels are welcome. No cost except a little extra shut eye and some frustrations your ready to let go of. If you are inclined to pay it forward in some way I suggest the hemotology- oncology stem cell transplant division at all children's hospital. A dear friend has just come home to work there and their work is nothing short of miraculous giving little kids a second chance at life. Donate directly here

If I don't see you on the sand I'll catch you in the ethers. XO

P.S. Here's some shots of the last month that were overflowing with light and love....

My favorite place in the world and quite possibly the best place to give someone their mantra, #BigSur

I'm a lucky girl #loverofthelight

Seriously the best flowers and florist a girl could ever luck into @Izasflowers and a ninja photographer @simpletreasuresflorida who got over 2,000 candid shots- my heroines

Have you ever stood up mid way through your cycle and felt like you were being pinched from the inside out by your ovaries? The pain is brief, but the struggle is real for all of about 5-15 minutes. I'd swear sometimes there is a small statured man in their trying to punch his way out.

Middleschmertz- also know as pain mid cycle pain (named for the doctor who figured it out) can happen during ovulation. Some women will feel cramps or bloating for about a day during ovulation, others will simply notice a sharp one sided pain that is brief and fleeting indicating a high likelihood that ovulation just occurred. We used to think that ovulation happened in a quick burst, but recently a camera during a pelvic surgery in the UK caught the entire thing on camera and it lasted 15 minutes. Anyone that looks at these pictures will have an understanding of why they experience middleschmertz and that it's normal. P.S. This picture isn't graphic, however, I wouldn't open it up during a meal unless you are completely desensitized to the amazing feats of the human body. When I say feats, I mean wierdness. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7447942.stm

While brief pain mid cycle may be a normal part of how mother nature works, PMS that starts at ovulation and lasts for two weeks is not normal! If you experience bloating, mood changes, digestion changes, and abdominal discomfort for more than a couple of days leading up to your period, herbal medicine a few lifestyle tweaks could very easily give you your care free life back. Qi stagnation is most likely the culprit, and formula like Free and Easy Wanderer or ProSoothe II could bring relief as soon as 1-2 cycles. As always, consult your qualified herbalist before self prescribing anything!

What do you do when your purpose is growing and shifting? How do you move forward?

Dive into change in my guest post "Everything changes, even your dharma!" featured on my teacher davidji's website. Read on to learn about that sweet spot, known as the intersection between the impulse to change and the knowledge of the path.

Ashley: What do you think people will get out of combining these two great traditions?

Hillary: I think they will understand the vast importance of SILENCE. Getting quiet and turning inward is something that is so undervalued in our society and even looked upon as somewhat selfish by some. I think this experience will help people to experience a profound shift within themselves. I hope it will help them to see how yummy silence can be, even for small periods of time.

There are a lot of teachers, coaches, mentors, and consultants out there these days. More than that though, there are countless people looking for direction. The funny thing is, the ultimate teacher lives inside each one of us. It's just rare that we get quiet enough to listen, or that we have enough self compassion to fully accept ourselves flaws and all. Try and listen to yourself, you know the answer. When you get stuck, find that teacher that permeates greatness and isn't afraid to share, even if you do outgrow them. It might very well be the person you least expect.

I’m in the middle of my annual fall trip to Carlsbad, CA (the sweetspot of the Universe) to sit with my meditation teacher davidji. It’s something I look forward to every year. It’s like coming home when you didn’t know you were lost.

Here are a few of the random insights that came from my first day of rounding meditation and discussion after four months of diving back into spiritual teachings...